Psychosocial Responses to Stress - Anxiety

What are the two primary psychological response patterns to stress?

Anxiety

Grief

Anxiety and grief are both NORMAL until ______ is impacted

Function

Anxiety Definition

A feeling of discomfort and apprehension related to fear of impending danger. Accompanied by feelings of uncertainty and helplessness.

Mild anxiety

Adaptive: can provide motivation

Is mild anxiety a problem?

No; prepares people for action

Effects of MILD anxiety

• Senses sharpened

• Increased motivation

• INCREASED PERCEPTION (perceptual field)

• Heightened awareness of environment

• Enhanced learning

INDIVIDUAL CAN FUNCTION AT AN OPTIMAL LEVEL

What can individual use to satisfy their needs for comfort when confronted with MILD anxiety?

Coping mechanisms

Examples of coping mechanisms

• Crying

• Cursing

• Daydreaming

• Drinking

• Eating

• Foot swinging

• Fidgeting

• Figner tapping

• laughing

• nail biting

• pacing

• exercise

• sleeping

• smoking

• Talking to someone

• Yawning

Moderate Anxiety (perceptual field)

Begins to diminish

S/S of Moderate Anxiety

RESTLESS

muscle tension

decreased attention and ability to concentrate

use of EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Severe Anxiety (perceptual field)

Diminishes greatly

Concentration centers on one particular detail

S/S of Severe Anxiety

Limited Attention Span

Focus is on relieving anxiety

May have physical symptoms

Physical Symptoms of Severe anxiety

• Headache

• Palpitation

• Insomnia

Neurosis (Severe Anxiety)

• NOT a separate category of mental disorder

• Can result from extended periods of repressed severe anxiety

• No gross distortion of reality or severe personality disorganization (NON PSYCHOTIC)

• Functioning impaired

Neurosis Characteristics

• AWARE they are experiencing distress

• AWARE of maladaptive behaviors

• UNAWARE of CAUSE

• feel helpless

• NO LOSS OF CONTACT WITH REALITY

Psychoneurotic responses to severe anxiety (disorders)

• Anxiety Disorders (Phobia, Panic, GAD, separation)

• Somatic Symptom

• Dissociative Disorders

What can happen to an individual if they go through an extended period of function at the PANIC level of anxiety

Psychosis

Psychosis

Significant thought disturbance in which reality testing is IMPAIRED.

S/S of Psychosis

• Hallucination

• Delusions

• Disorganized speech

• catatonic behavior

Psychotic responses to anxiety (disorders)

• Schizophrenic

• Schizoaffective

• Delusional disorder

• Major/Manic

Common characteristics of individuals with psychoses

• Minimal distress

• unaware of maladaptive behavior

• unaware of psychological problems (anosognosia)

• Flight from reality into less stressful world